Where Lost Things Go
by Anna Whitlinger
Summary: On my tenth birthday, my brother went missing. The police could do nothing about it. What happens when even the police are helpless? That's right, the case is dropped and the whole thing is forgotten. So then I make the stupid decision of finding him myself... and where do I start my search? In Amestris, a place with great alchemic power and absolutely no Wifi. -Pairings unsure-
1. Prologue

**Yup. I should totally leave my three APH fanfics to rot in the dark and start an entirely different story in an entirely different fandom. Great move. Because I'm a weak-minded authoress who can't even stand up to a couple of plot bunnies. **

**BUT, eventually I'll be able to satisfy them and get back to my old stories. I just need some time to think about what direction those are headed. So no worries, my lovely readers!**

**About this story. It's an OC fic, because right now I just love those. Currently I have no idea where this one is going to lead, but I'm pretty excited about it. Flame and da Colonel will flame you back! :) Haha sorry, I just love this joke (got it from YouTube). I'm okay with any comments, positive or negative. Anyway, thanks for choosing this story and enjoy!**

_Prologue: 2011_

* * *

_Today is February 8th, 2011. I've prepared everything but myself. Sometimes I wonder if this is all a crazy dream, and I'll wake up suddenly at the time I least expect, with my dog Jabberwocky still alive and all of this alchemy insanity just a figment of my imagination. And then I tell myself I'm not yet ready for this._

_But then again, will I ever be ready?_

* * *

Where do lost things go? A question I have never been able to answer. It comes to mind on lonely days, days when the city is quiet and the sky weeps soft, steady tears. Of course, these don't come along very often, since I live right in the heart of Manhattan.

I opened my eyes to a monochrome world, last night's dream already fading. You know how when you've just woken up from a long sleep, for a heartbeat you have no idea where you are, who you are or what year it is? That was exactly how I felt at the moment. I just laid in my bed and stared up at the ceiling wondering what my name was and what the hell I was doing in this room.

The phone suddenly gave a loud shriek and I screamed, sitting up. I grabbed it and was about to hurl it across the room…then decided answering was a better choice.

_Click. _"Uh…hello? Crosswell residence, Jaime speaking."

"HAPPY THIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY!"

"AAAHHH!" I held the phone away from my poor ear. "Don't yell, idiot!"

"Well, that's not very nice," he said. "Considering I remembered your birthday before you did."

"I just woke up! And seriously, why'd you call me so early in the morning? It's only—" I checked my alarm clock and my voice faltered, "—eleven…"

"Jaime, it's a very special day! How could you?" he scolded.

"I stayed up kinda late last night." I thought about all the things I had found out yesterday and my stomach twisted. "Listen, Oliver..."

Oliver cut me off. "Nuh uh, don't get all sad and serious with me. Today's important and you should stay happy."

"But it's…"

"I know." He sighed, then said brightly, "Anyway, I'm coming over to your place in a few minutes for your party!"

"What? No! I haven't even dressed yet—"

"See ya later, birthday girl!"

He hung up.

I groaned and slammed the receiver down, running a hand through my short brown hair. That's Oliver for you. He's always so upbeat and sees the bright side of everything. I've known him since I was five, when I first moved to Manhattan and learned he was my new neighbor. He is completely in love with his guitar and I'm sure he'll marry it someday.

And, of course, a little bit about me. My name is Jaime Crosswell. I have light gray eyes, not a particularly exciting color, and short-cropped dark brown hair. I also happen to be slightly on the short side. Okay, more than slightly. My parents died in an unexplained accident when I was 4, so I moved to New York with my uncle. I'm a year younger than Oliver and he always, _always_uses that fact against me in arguments, which is honestly kind of annoying. I hate alarm clocks with a passion, and like any writer, I have an unhealthy obsession of chocolate and coffee.

I quickly dressed and washed up. As Oliver had promised, minutes later the doorbell rang.

"Coming!" I raced to the living room and opened the front door. "Sorry, it's a bit messy in h—OLIVER! Who are these people?"

Behind a grinning Oliver, a crowd of people filled the hallway outside my apartment, buzzing with excitement. Some looked bored, some eager, some tired. All of them were around my age. I gaped at the sight.

"Happy birthday Jaime!" they cheered in unison, then entered my house, all at once_._I was trampled a couple of times by several pairs of feet before I managed to escape to the safety of the kitchen.

"At least five or six people brought cake," Oliver said as he entered, a large pizza box in his arms. "And all of them got you presents! I think this is gonna be an awesome party." He set down the box, opened it and took out a slice of pepperoni pizza, offering it to me. "Pizza?"

"Thanks," I said, and accepted it. "So…who are they, exactly?"

Oliver removed another slice and took a bite. He swallowed and answered, "Oh, just a few friends of mine from the music club."

"A few?"

"Yeah…eighteen, nineteen? Wow, this is pretty good." He finished the slice and opened the refrigerator. "Man, what does your uncle feed you? There's like, zilch in here! Okay, some peanut butter, which shouldn't even _be _in the fridge."

"He just has a liking for Chinese takeout food," I explained. "And _I _put the peanut butter there, for your information. I don't want it to rot."

"Peanut butter doesn't need to be refrigerated, you know. That's common sense." He closed the fridge, turned and gave me a smile. "Well. Shall we go entertain your guests now?"

**xXx**

Five hours later, the last of my visitors had finally left. I let out a weary sigh and sunk into the sofa, closing my eyes. I was stuffed to the brim with cake and soda, and some of it was threatening to go the wrong direction. On the dining table was a mountain of gifts, only half of them opened. I'd gotten plenty of fancy violin tuners, books about the lives of Mozart and Beethoven, and countless guitar picks.

"Wow," Oliver said as he surveyed the pile of gifts. "You sure are the popular one. Look at this stuff! I'm so jealous."

"Don't be stupid. You're the one that got them to come." I opened my eyes and sat up, suddenly afraid. "I…I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" He faced me, green eyes concerned.

"Last night I did some research and figured out a lot of important things," I began, then hesitated. "And…"

He nodded. "Go on…?"

I took a deep breath. "I'm going to find my brother."

Oliver stared at me. "T-That's crazy! How are you planning to do that? The police searched for months!"

"Don't you understand? I _have _to. He's my only family besides my uncle, and he…he might be able to tell me what had happened to our parents."

He was silent for a few moments, his eyes locked with mine. Then he sighed. "Alright. I know I can't stop you. But at least tell me where you plan to start."

I bit my lip. This was it. If I couldn't tell him, I could tell no one. "Wait here." I ran to my room and lifted the left corner of my mattress. The leather bound journal was there where I'd left it, tucked snugly in one of the spaces in the bedframe. I tugged it free and returned to the living room, where my best friend was waiting on the sofa.

I sat down next to him and flipped to the page I had dog-eared the previous night, where a sketch of a red circular design lay. Oliver looked it over and his eyes grew wide. "Oh no, don't tell me this is..."

"It is," I said firmly, "and I'm using this to get there. To Amestris."

* * *

_Today is February 8th, 2011. It has been exactly three years since my brother disappeared._

* * *

**Whoa. That was **_**not **_**how I expected this to turn out. I had a slightly less serious fanfic in mind. You know, more like my other OC story, where the main character is half a crazed fangirl. But I guess surprises are always around the corner. **

**I'm not sure about the romance part, so I'm going to ask you guys. Should I write Ed x OC (since this one's pretty popular around here), OC x OC (got a good idea for this one), or just no romance? Please help me decide!**

**And that's it. Thanks for reading, and see y'all next time! :) **

**...x Whitlinger x...**


	2. Arrival

**Wow. Thanks for the support. :D**

**After writing the first chapter, I was thinking, "You know what? This sucks. I have no idea where I'm going." But then I decided not to...because of you guys. So thanks again. =)**

**Soooo. Here we go. Enjoy! ^ ^**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Arrival **

_2012_

The circle was complete. I had used a red permanent marker to draw on a large white sheet of poster paper. I didn't know if it was going to work, but I had to try.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Oliver said worriedly, for the hundredth time. "What if something goes wrong?"

"Everything will be fine, I promise," I answered, for the hundredth time. I scanned over my brother's notes to make sure I did everything right. When nothing seemed wrong, I took a deep breath and tucked the journal in my back pocket. "Well, this is it."

When Oliver didn't speak, I turned to him, about to ask a question, but then he reached forward and wrapped me in a bone-crushing hug.

"Be back soon," was all he said, and something made me blush. He released me and I stared at my childhood friend, trying to remember everything about his face, because something told me I wasn't going to return for a long, long time.

My mouth said the opposite. "I'll come back before you know it, and not alone." I gave him a smile, then looked down at the circle, raising my hands. "Here goes nothing."

I closed my eyes, tried to concentrate all my energy in my palms liked the journal said, clapped my hands together, and slammed them on the center of the circle.

Nothing happened.

I repeated the process again and received the same results.

Oliver sighed. "I told you so. Alchemy doesn't work here, Jaime." I could hear the relief in his voice.

"No, it has to work. It has to!" I took out the journal and flipped through it, trying to find something, anything, that could prove me right. "It can't be, I did everything perfectly..."

But there was nothing, nothing I hadn't read already, anyway. Unwanted tears came to my eyes. "Damn it!" I yelled, and in a flash of anger hurled the notebook across the room. "I was going to find him! I was so close!"

I sank to the floor and cried, embarrassing myself, but I didn't care. After a moment I heard Oliver move towards me, but then he stopped and asked, "Hey, what's this? It fell out of the journal."

I looked up. In his palm was a small red stone that seemed to glow by itself.

And then I knew. It had to be.

I jumped up, took the stone, and placed it on the poster paper. This time when I pressed my hands against the circle, the red designs brightened, filling the dim room with crimson light.

We stared in amazement as the circle became brighter and brighter, until it was almost white.

"It's working," I exclaimed. "It's really working!"

In the center something began to form, twisting and widening into something that resembled an eye. Black snake-like things with fingers at the end slithered out and reached for my arm.

Oliver grabbed the journal and took my other arm.

"What are you doing?" I asked, though I knew very well what his reply was going to be.

"I'm coming with you," he said, a determined look in his green eyes.

My eyes widened and I tried to break free of his grasp. "Let go of me! It can only work on one person! If you come with me you'll-"

Before I could finish my sentence, the black fingers pulled us in.

**xXx **

White. Blank. Empty. Those were my first thoughts.

Then I saw the gate.

It stood tall and firm, thrice my height, with complicated designs and symbols etched into its surface. I walked towards it and ran my fingers over its smooth, cool face. Something about the gate made me want to go in.

"What is this place?" came Oliver's voice behind me. He sounded curious, but calm.

I turned around and screamed.

Half his face was gone, as was a quarter of his left leg and his right arm. His body seemed to be made of small units, which were slowly eroding away. "W-What's happening to you?"

He gave me a confused look. "Huh? Nothing's happening..."

"He shouldn't be here," a voice said. I faced the gate; in front of it was a...a _creature_. It was sitting cross-legged on the ground, and although it didn't have eyes, I could feel its gaze. Something about it seemed familiar, too.

It looked like...it sounded like..._me. _

"He'll be gone soon," it said. "In...a couple of seconds? Then we can have some privacy."

Oliver looked down and yelped. "AAAHH! W-What's wrong with my body?"

"You're disappearing, human," the thing replied. "Back to where you belong."

"No, wait! I have to...tell her something..."

And just like that, Oliver was gone.

My brother's journal lay on the white ground, a little battered, but elsewise perfectly intact. I walked to it and picked it up, tucking it in my pocket. Then I turned to the creature, a seed of fear growing in my stomach.

"Hello, Jaime Crosswell," it said, and smiled widely. "I believe I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Truth."

I stared at the thing, Truth, unable to reply. It sighed. "Well, I suppose I do look a little strange. I assume you're attempting to cross into Amestris?"

I nodded and placed a hand on the journal.

"And what makes you think you can do that?"

Somehow, I knew the right answer. "I have this." I held out my right hand, which was clenched in a fist, and slowly opened it to reveal the red stone.

Truth laughed at the sight of it. "Clever. I'll be taking that, because I know two brothers who will be searching for it very soon." The stone in my hand eroded away. Truth stood and stepped aside, giving me a mock bow. "Please, go ahead."

As I approached the gate, it said, "Have fun. And good luck. You'll be needing it."

The last thing I heard before I stepped through was its laughter, loud and cackling, as if it couldn't believe someone had dared to cross its gate.

**xXx **

I found myself lying on the ground in an alleyway, my muscles sore and head pounding. Staring up at the sky, Truth's words replayed themselves in my mind.

_'Have fun. And good luck. You'll be needing it.' _

I groaned and sat up, rubbing my head. Judging by the lack of light, it was probably seven or eight in the evening. And judging by the style of the buildings, I was probably not on Earth anymore.

"Where...am I?" I muttered aloud. "What the hell is this place..."

A rough hand grabbed my wrist and I screamed. I whirled around and found a lean face staring at me. The man grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Hello, sweetheart," he growled, and I shuddered.

He raised his hand and I saw a design drawn on his palm. The man slapped me across the face and I felt marks burn into my skin, the pain making me cry out.

"That's right, scream, little girl," he whispered. "Let me hear you scream."

His hand wrapped around my throat. My only thought was, _I'm going to die, and in a world I don't know a thing about. _

Then I felt his grip loosen and he was thrown aside by a wave of water that came from nowhere. I collapsed, panting, trying to stop my hands from shaking.

"Hey, you okay?"

Impossible. _Impossible. _I knew that voice, and very, very well.

"You shouldn't be out here alone," the voice continued. "That guy that jumped you? He's the serial killer the military's been looking for. Apparently he only targets young girls."

I looked up. The owner of the voice was standing with his back facing me. It was hard to tell in the light, but I guess he was pretty tall...taller than me, anyway. He was wearing a black trench coat, dark pants and white gloves.

He turned around and asked me, "Anyway, where do you live? I can take you home."

Green eyes. Messy brown hair, high cheekbones, strong jaw, full lips. Quite young, too, not much older than me.

"Oliver!" I sputtered.

He gave me a puzzled look. "Yes, that's me. How did you know my name?"

I jumped to my feet. "W-What are you doing here? You can't...how did you..."

He was looking _really _confused by now. "What are you talking about? I live here, in Central."

"Don't you recognize me?" I asked. "I'm Jaime! Your neighbor and best friend."

Oliver stared at me for a moment, then gave me an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry," he said, "but I've never met you before until today."

* * *

**Wow. This feels so short. I think I got too used to writing 5000 word chapters.**

**The Elric brothers and Mustang and all those military people appear next chapter. :D So, Clair Aragon, I kept this short and simple. Thank you for the nice review, by the way! You too, madacat153. :) And thanks for following and favoriting, my fellow fanfictioners. =D**

**See you all next time!**

**...x Whitlinger x...**


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